Kammerer named board chair of Delaware Restaurant Association

Scott Kammerer, president of SoDel Concepts, was named chairman of the board of the Delaware Restaurant Association.

The Delaware Restaurant Association named Scott Kammerer chairman of the board for a two-year term beginning in 2020, the DRA announced Feb. 6.

Kammerer is the president of SoDel Concepts, which owns 12 restaurants in coastal Sussex County.

“Transformational leadership is vital as the Delaware Restaurant Association looks to help the industry navigate and innovate into the future,” said Carrie Leishman, president and CEO of the DRA. “As a visionary operator, Scott will serve as the voice representing the incredible power of restaurants — as an economic powerhouse and an industry of opportunity for all. He is a model for these values in his own community and in how he empowers his people.”

Kammerer started his career in the Delaware hospitality industry in 1992 as a dishwasher in Rehoboth Beach. By 1996, he was the general manager of a popular seafood restaurant. He is now one of the most successful restaurant developers in the history of Delaware.

Kammerer is a past recipient of the DRA’s Cornerstone Award and the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce’s Marvin S. Gilman Superstars in Business Award.

Kammerer has been involved with the DRA since he became president in 2014 after the death of SoDel Concepts’ founder, Matt Haley, who was also active.

“The DRA is an important advocate for the hospitality industry, and the organization is also a critical resource for restaurants of all sizes,” said Kammerer. “The Delaware Restaurant Educational Foundation also plays an important role in creating tomorrow’s industry leaders. I’m excited to see where the next two years will take us.”

Delaware restaurants are the “now” industry, Leishman said. “Looking into the next decade, the only constant will be the lightning speed of change that the industry will face.”

To start, Kammerer said he wants to help influence legislation that affects the Delaware industry and create awareness of the importance of the restaurant industry to the state’s economy.